1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to in-vitro diagnostic apparatuses and in-vitro diagnostic methods, and, more specifically, to analyzing a test object by using a test medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In-vitro diagnosis is a technique of checking the health of a patient based on blood, body fluid, and the like that can be collected from the patient, and has been widely used as a pre-diagnosis method to determine the disease.
A blood test apparatus, which is an example of an in-vitro diagnostic apparatus, may be used to check the health of a patient only with a small amount of blood collected from the patient. With a blood test apparatus, a user can easily obtain information of a patient's disease by using a comparatively simple method such as blood-collecting. Other examples of an in-vitro diagnostic apparatus include an immunological test apparatus, a blood sugar test apparatus, etc.
A user uses a test medium, such as a disc or a cartridge, to analyze a test object such as the blood or body fluid of a patient, by using an in-vitro diagnostic apparatus. For example, a user injects the blood collected from a patient into a test medium and inserts the test medium into a blood test apparatus so that the blood test apparatus can analyze the blood, which is a test object.
A test medium may include a reagent for analyzing a test object. For example, a blood test apparatus may determine whether a patient has an antibody or antigen or whether the patient is infected with a disease, by analyzing a reaction between a reagent contained in a test medium and a test object.
Because of a reagent contained in a test medium, the test medium should have an expiration date. When a test object is analyzed using a test medium of which an expiration date has passed, a result of the analysis may have an error. Accordingly, a user should take care not to use a test medium of which an expiration date has passed. However, in some cases, a user may intentionally use a test medium of which an expiration date has passed, for economic reasons, or may unintentionally use it due to mechanical defects of an in-vitro diagnostic apparatus.
Therefore, there is a need for an in-vitro diagnostic apparatus capable of analyzing a test object via a test medium of which an expiration date is determined to surely have not yet passed.